Last week I got a rescue horse who is very underweight and looks as if he has rain rot on his back. So I put MTG on it and it made some black gooey weird stuff where I put it on. I’ve used MTG on my other horses and this has never happened. Is it normal? Has anyone had it happen? Any info will be appreciated. Thanks
After I bathe him should I start putting MTG on him again?
MTG is really not the treatment of choice for something like rain rot, since it is an anaerobic bacterial infection. That means that the bacteria actually thrive when you cover them with petroleum/tar products like this.
Exposure to air kills anaerobes, so you want to get the scabs off and expose the skin to air. I would use Hibiscrub which has been shown to be the best cleanser for dermatophilus congolensis bacteria (cause rain rot and mud fever). Humans as well as horses can be infected with this bacterium, which lives in the skin and can begin multiplying in wet conditions. Hibiscrub is available at any drug store. I also use 0.9% sterile saline for all wounds and lesions. You can also buy it at the drugstore. It is balanced with the body fluids, so it won’t swell tissue cells or irritate already compromised skin. The salt dehydrates and kills microbes, and healthy cells needed to heal the sores are not destroyed by it.
You should gently remove the MTG and scabs. cleanse the open sores with Hibiscrub, and flush with the saline. Then dry them thoroughly. I use cotton makup removal pads for this. Once the scabs are completely debrided to fully expose the skin, that is all you need to do. But if the sores are bleeding, I use a collagen gel called EMT (available online or at tractor/farm supply stores). Apply a thin layer to each cleaned and completely dried open sore. Collagen is the foundation protein in all connective tissues, and this gel supports healing of open wounds and lesions. It adheres very well and will protect the sores from insects and debris. Sores usually heal within a day or two with this treatment.
EDIT….antifungals are for fungus infections. They do nothing for bacterial infections. This is a bacterial infection. The reason it takes so long to heal rain rot when using antifungals and MTG is because you are actually helping the infection to thrive.
June 1st, 2010 at 4:20 pm
It was just the MTG mixing with all the loose stuff that is rain rot. You should bathe the horse with an antimicrobial shampoo. Take care not to peel up scabs but scrub him gently.
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June 1st, 2010 at 4:42 pm
MTG is really not the treatment of choice for something like rain rot, since it is an anaerobic bacterial infection. That means that the bacteria actually thrive when you cover them with petroleum/tar products like this.
Exposure to air kills anaerobes, so you want to get the scabs off and expose the skin to air. I would use Hibiscrub which has been shown to be the best cleanser for dermatophilus congolensis bacteria (cause rain rot and mud fever). Humans as well as horses can be infected with this bacterium, which lives in the skin and can begin multiplying in wet conditions. Hibiscrub is available at any drug store. I also use 0.9% sterile saline for all wounds and lesions. You can also buy it at the drugstore. It is balanced with the body fluids, so it won’t swell tissue cells or irritate already compromised skin. The salt dehydrates and kills microbes, and healthy cells needed to heal the sores are not destroyed by it.
You should gently remove the MTG and scabs. cleanse the open sores with Hibiscrub, and flush with the saline. Then dry them thoroughly. I use cotton makup removal pads for this. Once the scabs are completely debrided to fully expose the skin, that is all you need to do. But if the sores are bleeding, I use a collagen gel called EMT (available online or at tractor/farm supply stores). Apply a thin layer to each cleaned and completely dried open sore. Collagen is the foundation protein in all connective tissues, and this gel supports healing of open wounds and lesions. It adheres very well and will protect the sores from insects and debris. Sores usually heal within a day or two with this treatment.
EDIT….antifungals are for fungus infections. They do nothing for bacterial infections. This is a bacterial infection. The reason it takes so long to heal rain rot when using antifungals and MTG is because you are actually helping the infection to thrive.
References :
Registered Nurse and 57 years with horses
June 1st, 2010 at 4:48 pm
The black stuff is normal, it actually means its doing its job. As for bathing him, I wouldn’t until the rain rot is gone. If you do, bathe him in a fungal shampoo and make sure you get all of the scab up. After that, put the MTG back on and for the next couple of days wipe off the black, scratch the scabs and reapply. I would do this until it is healed and then do another fungal bath just for good measure. I have used it many times and it shouldn’t take more than a week to heal, if it does, you may be dealing with something else.
Good-luck
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ex-vet tech, 20+ years experience, MTG user
June 1st, 2010 at 5:11 pm
I agree with the first person. And it could also be dirt because it attracts dirt. I put in my geldings mane and tail and they got really super dirty, when they usually stay pure white. I tihnk it was just dirt.
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June 1st, 2010 at 5:27 pm
Have you bathed him yet?
That might be your problem. Since MTG is a slimy/sticky substance, it may just be dirt sticking to it. You should try giving him a bath and then when he is dry you can put the MTG on him.
I used an anti-bacterial soap from the dollar store to get rid of my mini’s rain rot, which did a wonderful job. I didn’t bathe him with it, I just rubbed it on his skin where the rain rot was and let it sit there for a couple of days and applied more when needed.
Hope this helps!
Tori
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